Jets' second-period collapse helps Hawks win 5-1

Chicago Blackhawks' goaltender Corey Crawford (bottom) can't stop a shot from the point by Winnipeg Jets defenceman Toby Enstrom as Matt Halishchuk (15) and Michael Frolik (67) of the Jets and Hawks' Nick Leddy (8) look for the rebound during the first period. - (John Woods / The Canadian Press)Members of the Winnipeg Jets celebrate a first-period goal by Toby Enstrom (bottom right). The goal would be the Jets' lone marker Saturday afternoon. - (John Woods / The Canadian Press)Members of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrate the first-period goal by Niklas Hjalmarsson (bottom left). - (John Woods / The Canadian Press)Brandon Saad of the Blackhawks tries to get the puck past Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec during the first period. - (Chicago Blackhawks #20 )Zach Bogosian (second from right) tries to get the puck out of the Jets zone during the first period as (from left) Toby Enstrom, Jonathan Toews, James Wright and Marion Hossa scramble for the puck.Zach Bogosian gets shoved into the boards. - (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press)Jonathan Toews rushes down the boards during Saturday afternoons game. - (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press)Andrew Shaw (right) of the Blackhawks skates with the puck as James Wright gives chase during the second period. - (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press)Winnipeg Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec heads to the bench after being replaced during the second period. - (USA Today Sports / Reuters)Chicago Blackhawks' Bryan Bickell (centre) and Andrew Shaw (right) celebrate Nick Leddy's goal against the Winnipeg Jets during the second period. - (John Woods / The Canadian Press)Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford (50) makes a save off a Matt Halishchuk shot as Johnny Oduya (left) picks up the rebound during the second period. - (John Woods / The Canadian Press)Evander Kane tries can't beat Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford during the second period. - (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press)Matt Halischuk (centre) tries to get the puck from Jeremy Morin (right) during the third period. - (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press)Evander Kane (9) and Jonathan Toews (19) jostle for position during the third period. - (John Woods / The Canadian Press)Grant Clitsome (24) checks Jonathan Toews (left) as Olli Jokinen (12) looks on during the third period. - (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press)

Hey there, time traveller!This article was published 2/11/2013 (1132 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG — It was a swift ending to today’s NHL game at the MTS Centre and it didn’t come anywhere near the end of it.

The Chicago Blackhawks, making their first visit of the new era here, scored three times in the first 5:42 of the second period and coasted to a 5-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Chicago Blackhawks' Brandon Saad tries to shoot the puck into the Jets' net during the first period Saturday. Purchase Photo Print

Goals by Brandon Bollig, Patrick Sharp and Nick Leddy early in the second snapped a 1-1 tie and left the Jets with just one win in their last seven games.

Winnipeg, 5-8-2, meets Detroit here on Monday.

"You could see some frustration in the way that we managed that game," said Jets coach Claude Noel. "We were in pretty good shape in the first period as long as we could keep it that way.

"I think in the matter of a couple of minutes, the game changed drastically and certainly when that happens, there’s a lot of emotion comes into yourself that is not good emotion and that’s what starts to get to you.

"Plus you take the air out of the building."

What really hurt was that to start the second period, the Jets’ line of Bryan Little, Andrew Ladd and Devin Setoguchi had two or three scoring chances on Chicago goalie Corey Crawford right off the bat.

Then Bollig went down the ice on a two-on-one with Marcus Kruger and buried the go-ahead goal.

Winnipeg’s Toby Enstrom and Chicago’s Niklas Hjalmarsson had traded goals in the first.

The sequence early in the second put on display the difference in finish held by the defending Stanley Cup champs.

"It’s the team you have," Noel said. "We have what we have, they have what they have. You’re not going to re-invent how to play. Puck management was critical. That was a key part of the game. Put them on transition, put them on special teams, you’re going to have trouble.

"If you don’t manage the puck well, you’re going to have trouble.

"We made mistakes before it got to our goalies so I’m not going to sit here and blame our goalies. There’s no rocket science way to play when you play a team that can hurt you."

Chicago, now 9-2-3, knew what to do after it got the lead.

"I think we had a pretty good first period," said former Hawks forward Michael Frolik, who now skates for the Jets. "We were all over them, had a few chances and we were happy in the first period

"In the second period, they just scored three quick goals and that’s how they play. They’ve got good transition, very quick, and we gave up three goals and after it, it was kind of over. We said in the room to go after them, don’t quit, but they didn’t give up much after that."

History

Updated on Saturday, November 2, 2013 at 12:54 PM CDT: added photo

3:26 PM: fresh photo

5:17 PM: Updates copy.

5:24 PM: Updates headline.

5:36 PM: Replaces game copy.

7:18 PM: Adds slide show.

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